S T A R S
by queerwarriorcats
Summary: "Hm? What is it that you want? Speak up, dear, or I fear that I will be unable to hear you." … "Ah, so it is a story that you wish for? Yes, I do believe I have something that will appease you. A tale of stars so vibrant that they made the shadows shy away...Though I must warn you, little one: even the brightest of stars cannot conquer the night."
1. Allegiances

**LIGHTCLAN**

**Leader:** Dawnstar – ginger tabby molly with white paws and amber eyes

**Deputy:** Brambleflower – light brown tabby molly with white markings and green eyes

_**Apprentice, **Pebblepaw_

**Medicine Cat:** Mistleaf – gray and white molly

_**Apprentice, **Sparrowfur_

**Warriors:**

Silverfang – old gray molly with blue eyes

Nightstorm – black molly with amber eyes

Eagleclaw – dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes and a long scar across his face

_**Apprentice,** Shadepaw_

Sandcloud – golden molly with amber eyes

_**Apprentice,** Ashpaw_

Sorrelfur – red tabby tom

Frostface – pretty white molly with blue eyes

_**Apprentice, **Reedpaw_

Applenose – golden tabby molly with pale green eyes

Duskwhisker – dusky brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Badgerclaw – black and white tom with amber eyes

**Apprentice,** Firepaw

Tawnyheart – golden tabby tom

Honeyflower – golden tabby molly

Swifttail – black and white tom

**Apprentices:**

Sparowfur – dusty brown tabby tom

Pebblepaw – light gray tabby molly with white markings and blue eyes

Shadepaw – dark gray molly with green eyes

Reedpaw – golden brown tom with amber eyes

Ashpaw – light gray molly with blue eyes

Firepaw – ginger tabby tom with green eyes

**Queens:**

Morningcloud – calico molly with blue eyes (mother of Robinkit and Cloudkit)

**Kits:**

Robinkit – calico molly with blue eyes

Cloudkit – white tom with blue eyes

Darkkit – black tom with green eyes

* * *

><p><span><strong>OWLCLAN<strong>

**Leader:** Owlstar – brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

**Deputy:** Icepelt – white molly with blue eyes

**Warriors:**

Lichencloud – tortoiseshell molly with pale green eyes

_**Apprentice,** Cherrypaw_

Darkstorm – black molly with yellow eyes

**_Apprentice,_** _Patchpaw_

Starlingstorm – black tom with copper eyes

Rabbitfang – dusty brown tom

Redfang – red tabby molly

_**Apprentice,** Gingerpaw_

Stoneheart – gray tabby tom with yellow green eyes

Heronwhisker – gray and white tom with amber eyes

Tigercloud – brown tabby molly with amber eyes

Sedgeface – brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Beetleclaw – very dark brown tom with copper eyes

Sycamorepelt – tortoiseshell molly

**Apprentices:**

Patchpaw – black and white tom with amber eyes

Cherrypaw – calico molly with red-brown patches

Gingerpaw – ginger tabby molly

* * *

><p><strong>KITTYPETS, LONERS, AND ROGUES<strong>

Emberstorm – calico molly with heterochromatic eyes; former OwlClan cat

Cougar – brown tabby tom with orange eyes

Ash – dark gray tom with bright yellow eyes


	2. Shadepaw

"Hurry up, Pebblepaw! You don't want to fall behind!"

"I'm trying!" The short legged apprentice called, her voice straining. A moment later, she came crashing through the bushes, nearly running into Firepaw. Twigs were tangled in her fur, streaks of dirt staining her tabby pelt.

"Watch out, you silly furball!" the much larger tom chuckled, narrowly dodging Pebblepaw. Once she had regained her balance he nudged her with his shoulder, almost sending her toppling over once more.

"Hey!" Pebblepaw chirped, shoving him back. Firepaw laughed in response, whiskers twitching and tail flicking back and forth. He trotted ahead of her until he reached his mentor. Pebblepaw soon followed, falling into place beside him.

"I wonder if those two will ever stop behaving like a pair of overgrown kits," Shadepaw muttered to Reedpaw, casting a glance in his direction.

"They're just having fun," Reedpaw replied, hesitating slightly, looking uncertain. "Something you should learn to do." He brushed his tail along the length of Shadepaw's flank.

She jerked away, her fur prickling slightly at Reedpaw's taunt. She did not offer a response.

"You know I'm just teasing you." Reedpaw muttered, a hint of impatience mingled with laughter.

Shadepaw remained quiet, fixing her eyes on Pebblepaw and Firepaw, who were now swiping at each other when their mentors weren't watching. Pebblepaw caught the ginger tabby's ear with one of her white paws, giggling quietly. Firepaw returned the blow, his purring audible even from where Shadepaw stood.

She heard Reedpaw sigh softly and felt a prickle of guilt that instantly evaporated when she turned to him and noticed that he was focused on Pebblepaw. Her ears flattened in annoyance, Shadepaw abandoned her place beside Reedpaw and went to join the other two apprentices.

"I wish Ashpaw was here with us," Firepaw mewed, scanning the forest with a bright green gaze.

"She'll be out of the medicine cat's den soon," Brambleflower replied sympathetically. "For now, it is important for Ashpaw to get some rest." Brambleflower paused as the patrol hopped across a narrow stream. "Mistleaf has been taking good care of her."

"She's quite the accomplished medicine cat," Frostface piped up, making Shadepaw jump. She searched for the fluffy white molly, eventually finding her lingering at the back of the patrol.

Eagleclaw nodded in agreement. "LightClan is lucky to have her."

Frostface fell silent, and then nodded. "Yes, _we_ are quite lucky to have her."

The scar on the brown tabby tom's face contorted as he frowned, glancing over his shoulder, halting for a brief moment. Shadepaw wondered if her mentor had picked up on the hostile tone of Frostface's voice. But just a moment later, Eagleclaw shook his head and continued on.

"It's a shame that she won't be able to take Robinkit as her apprentice." Frostface spoke up again. "I've never seen a cat so interested in healing."

"Considering where you're from, that's not a surprise…" Shadepaw heard Reedpaw murmur under his breath. She hoped that Frostface hadn't heard him.

Luckily, the white molly paid no attention to her apprentice. Shadepaw let out a breath of relief, glaring back at Reedpaw, who responded with an indifferent shrug.

"She'll learn the ways of a warrior in time," Eagleclaw replied, although he too sounded disappointed.

"Surely Mistleaf could handle another apprentice?" Frostface pushed. "Sparrowfur is already fully trained."

He shook his head. "Clan traditions are important. Unless Mistleaf or Sparrowfur can no longer carry out their job, Robinkit cannot be trained as a medicine cat."

Frostface rolled her eyes. "You LightClan cats and your traditions..."

Eagleclaw acted as if he had not heard Frostface's comment.

"Do you remember when Mistleaf herself was apprenticed?" Brambleflower asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

Badgerclaw, who had not uttered a word for the entire trip, finally spoke. "Of course we don't. You two were the only cats who were even alive back then."

Eagleclaw chuckled. "Are you calling us old?"

"I'm just saying that maybe it's about time you two settled down in the elder's den."

Brambleflower scowled. "We're still plenty young!" She protested. "You ought to show your elders some respect." She huffed.

"He's right, you know," Eagleclaw purred, coming to lean against Brambleflower's shoulder. "The elder's den does look awfully appealing…"

Despite Eagleclaw's attempt to cheer her off, Brambleflower's demeanor remained the same. There was a faraway look in her eyes, as if she wasn't quite present. "Come on," she mewed suddenly, pulling ahead of her mate. "At this pace, we'll have to head back to camp before we even get to the training clearing."

Shadepaw didn't miss the confused tilt of her mentor's head, but he followed after Brambleflower nonetheless, trailing just slightly behind the lighter tabby.

They arrived at the clearing shortly after Brambleflower's little outburst. The group of warriors and apprentices had fallen silent, and Shadepaw was thankful for the break. Unfortunately, the conversation started back up as soon as they arrived.

Sitting at the edge of the training clearing was Dawnstar, LightClan's leader. She raised her head as the patrol of cats entered, shaking moss off of her pelt and getting to her paws.

"Dawnstar!" Brambleflower exclaimed, a hint of her typical enthusiasm returning to her voice. "I didn't know that you were going to be here."

"Neither did I," Dawnstar admitted, sitting down and curling her tail neatly around her paws. "I realized that I had a bit of free time, and I figured that I'd come see how our apprentices are progressing."

Pebblepaw went stiff. "But we've only been training for a half moon!" She squeaked, her little white paws trembling. Firepaw rested his muzzle against her shoulder in an attempt to soothe her.

Dawnstar purred in amusement. "I'm aware, Pebblepaw. I'm not expecting to see fully trained apprentices." She glanced individually at the four of them. "I just want to be sure that your mentors have been training you well." At this, she looked at Brambleflower, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Oh, please!" Brambleflower laughed, having caught Dawnstar's glance. "You nearly let your first apprentice run off in the middle of the night. If it hadn't been for Eagleclaw, the poor thing would have been lost for days."

"If I remember correctly, you let your first apprentice assess himself when it came time for him to become a warrior."

"You hardly supervised yours!" Brambleflower mewed indignantly. "You were always off with –" Suddenly, the LightClan deputy paused, cutting her sentence short. "You were always off wandering the forests, determined to catch the largest piece of prey so that Willowstar would notice you and appoint you deputy."

Dawnstar laughed in response, but there was now a slight uneasiness about her. "It worked, didn't it? But enough of our babbling. I'm sure that the apprentices are eager to begin their training session."

Firepaw nodded eagerly, shoving his way to the front of the group. "Can I go first? Badgerclaw says that I'm an excellent fighter!"

"I think you might have misheard me," the black and white tom murmured, narrowing his eyes at Firepaw.

Firepaw ignored his mentors comment, looking up at Dawnstar with wide green eyes. "Please?" He begged, drawing out the word.

"Why don't you and Reedpaw spar?" Eagleclaw suggested, glancing at Frostface for approval. The white molly nodded, blue eyes shining.

"Fine by me," Reedpaw said, joining Firepaw in the center of the clearing. He regarded the ginger pelted tom with a curious gaze, amber eyes flicking up and down.

Shadepaw sat down at the edge of the clearing, Pebblepaw soon following and taking a spot beside her. Shadepaw glanced over at her, wondering if they would be fighting next. She had a feeling that Pebblepaw would be paired with Reedpaw instead. He would be gentle with her.

"Claws sheathed or unsheathed?" Reedpaw questioned.

"Sheathed, of course." Dawnstar directed. "Firepaw isn't an enemy."

"Alright," Reedpaw responded, sounding almost disappointed. He then turned to face Firepaw, crouching low and preparing to attack.

"Ready, set…" Brambleflower spoke, glancing between the two apprentices. "Go!"

As soon as the words had left the molly's mouth, Reedpaw had sprung forward, delivering a blow to Firepaw's head that sent him reeling backward. The ginger apprentice stumbled, allowing Reedpaw to attack him once more, using his superior size to knock Firepaw to the ground.

Pebblepaw sucked in a sharp breath, watching anxiously as the two toms fought. Shadepaw resisted the urge to roll her eyes. _She'll never become a warrior if she remains so opposed to battling._

Firepaw struggled to his paws, Reedpaw allowing him a chance to get back up. Once he was standing, he bolted forward and lashed out at Reedpaw, dodging blows and attacking with surprising speed and grace.

A growl rumbled deep in Reedpaw's chest as he missed Firepaw by a mouselength. Before he had a chance to retaliate once more, Firepaw knocked him over, pinning Reedpaw underneath him. The larger tom kicked up at Firepaw's stomach with his back legs, earning a hiss of pain in response, but was ultimately unable to get Firepaw to budge.

"I win!" Firepaw declared, poking Reedpaw's chest with a white paw.

"Let me up," Reedpaw murmured, his voice low and tense. Firepaw obliged, looking over at the group of warriors for approval.

"You did very well, Firepaw," Dawnstar nodded. Firepaw's eyes widened, his tail waving happily.

"Thank you!" He practically shouted, bouncing on his paws. Reedpaw slunk off to the opposite side of the clearing, sitting in a patch of shade and watching with narrowed eyes.

"Who do I get to fight next?" Firepaw mewed.

"Perhaps Shadepaw would like to test her skills against yours," Eagleclaw replied, meeting Shadepaw's gaze. "Shadepaw?" He prompted.

"Sure," she responded, getting to her paws and stretching out her limbs. Eagleclaw purred in approval.

"You better win," he said. "I don't think I could bear it if my apprentice lost a fight. Oh, the shame…it would simply ruin me." He nudged the top of her head with his muzzle as she passed by him. Shadepaw laughed, pausing for a moment to bump her nose against her mentor's.

"Don't worry." She said reassuringly. "I'll win. Firepaw doesn't stand a chance against me!"

"That's the spirit," he smiled, guiding her forward with a paw. "Be sure that you don't push yourself too much," he added in a quieter voice. "I'll still be proud of you, even if you don't come out victorious."

Shadepaw nodded, eager to begin her fight against Firepaw. She was sure that she could beat him, even if Reedpaw hadn't been able to.

"Good luck!" Eagleclaw mewed as she faced off against Firepaw, their green eyes locked in an intense stare. The tip of her tail twitched impatiently as she waited for the match to begin.

Brambleflower began speaking as she had before, but Shadepaw was far too focused on Firepaw to understand what she was saying. As soon as she saw him move, she knew that the fight had begun.

There was a flash of tabby fur as Firepaw hurled himself at her, attempting to knock her over the same way that he had done with Reedpaw. Shadepaw stood her ground, shoving him back and striking out at him with an outstretched paw.

Firepaw lunged away, smirking in satisfaction when he managed to avoid Shadepaw's blow. He didn't have much time to enjoy his success, because Shadepaw leaped at him a moment later, crashing into him and sending them both rolling across the mossy clearing.

Shadepaw thrashed out at Firepaw with her front paws, a surprising amount of adrenaline coursing through her as the fight went on. The tabby tom attempted to protect himself from Shadepaw's attacks, but only managed to escape a few.

She could hear Pebblepaw cheering Firepaw on from the sidelines, which only fueled her desire to win. Shadepaw continued to strike at Firepaw with her paws, battering him ruthlessly.

Just as she felt Firepaw go limp beneath her and thought that she had won, he surged upward and sent her skidding across the clearing, unprepared for the next harsh blow that Firepaw landed. Growling, Shadepaw swiped at him, forcing him away from her. He began to back up, green eyes flicking about as he tried to predict her next move.

Shadepaw took a moment to examine him, as well. He was crouched low to the ground, muscles tense as if he was prepared to pounce. Shadepaw knew that she couldn't allow him another advantage if she was to win this battle. Before Firepaw could make his next move, the dark gray molly gathered her strength in her back legs and leaped, landing squarely on Firepaw's back. He yowled in surprise, legs buckling beneath him.

Once she knew that he was defeated, Shadepaw scrambled away from Firepaw, a satisfied grin on her face.

Firepaw grunted and got to his paws, though it was clear that he was aware of his defeat. Surprisingly, he dipped his head in respect to Shadepaw.

"You're pretty good," he admitted, laughing shakily as he drew a paw across his face, washing away dirt.

"Thanks." Shadepaw replied, just as she felt Eagleclaw prod her in the side.

"Congratulations!" Her mentor purred, amber eyes glowing with pride. "I knew you could do it."

Shadepaw smiled but did not reply. She turned toward the other warriors, searching for Dawnstar. She was curious about what the LightClan leader had to say about her victory.

But Dawnstar had already moved on. "Pebblepaw, why don't you go next?" She mewed gently, coaxing the little tabby molly. "You and Reedpaw can fight."

"Alright…" She replied reluctantly, meeting Reedpaw in the center of the clearing. Shadepaw saw him rest his tail against her side comfortingly, muttering something that she wasn't able to make out.

"Didn't Dawnstar see my fight?" She mewed to Eagleclaw, her good mood dissipating.

"She did," He nodded. "She was very impressed."

Shadepaw doubted that. If she had been impressed, then why had Dawnstar ignored her in favor of Pebblepaw?

Shadepaw watched as Reedpaw and Pebblepaw drew apart, padding to opposite sides of the clearing. The gray tabby molly looked tiny when compared to Reedpaw, with his broad shoulders and long limbs. He was nearly a head taller than Pebblepaw, and his paws were twice the size of hers.

"Ready?" Brambleflower asked. Both Reedpaw and Pebblepaw nodded. A moment later, she shouted, "Go!"

Reedpaw moved much slower than he had when he'd faced Firepaw. Pebblepaw shrank to the ground, which Shadepaw initially mistook as fearful reaction, but eventually realized that she was slowly creeping toward Reedpaw, her blue eyes focused on the golden brown tom.

Pebblepaw launched herself forward a few moments later, just barely closing the gap between herself and Reedpaw. She brought one of her front paws down hard on his head, trying to stun him. Reedpaw hardly reacted, as if he hadn't even felt the blow.

"Poor thing," Shadepaw heard Frostface murmur under her breath, the white molly watching Pebblepaw sympathetically. "She doesn't stand a chance."

Shadepaw couldn't help but agree. It was almost laughable, seeing Pebblepaw go up against Reedpaw.

Seeing that her first attempt at attacking Reedpaw hadn't done much, Pebblepaw skittered backward, calculating her next move. Shadepaw waited for him to pounce, to finish her off so they could all go home and get some rest, but Reedpaw didn't budge. He watched silently as Pebblepaw stared up at him with wide eyes, waiting patiently for her to attack once again.

With a glance back at her mentor, Brambleflower, Pebblepaw shot forward, running underneath Reedpaw. A moment later, she swept his legs out from underneath him, narrowly escaping before he came crashing to the ground. She then backed away, waiting for him to stand up and make a move of his own. Annoyance rose up within Shadepaw, and she was half tempted to push Reedpaw out of the way and take his place.

Reedpaw stood, facing off against Pebblepaw once more. This time, he actually made an effort, running toward her as if he was preparing to leap. But Pebblepaw simply sidestepped, avoiding him completely. She blinked, and waited for Reedpaw to turn around and face her again.

"Pebblepaw –" Brambleflower began, but Shadepaw jumped in before she had the chance to get her words out.

"What was that?" She asked incredulously, getting to her paws and stalking over to Reedpaw. Both he and Pebblepaw watched her with wide eyes. "You barely tried to beat her!" She scowled, tail lashing angrily. Once she was finished with Reedpaw, she whipped around to look at Pebblepaw. "And you – you aren't even making an effort! A mouse could do a better job of fighting than you."

Pebblepaw's ears flattened against her head, and she shrunk away from the green eyed molly, looking nervously up at her. Shadepaw's lip curled in disgust. She prepared to continue her rant, but before she could do so, Reedpaw pushed his way between herself and Pebblepaw, creating a barrier.

"Stop that!" He growled. "She doesn't need you shouting at her."

"You're right," Shadepaw snapped. "What she needs is to be taught a lesson – maybe if you weren't constantly protecting her –"

Reedpaw's pupils narrowed into slits. "Listen here, you foxheart –"

Shadepaw recoiled, feeling as if he had reached out and struck her. She hissed through clenched teeth, claws sinking into the moss beneath her paws.

"Enough!" Brambleflower yowled, interrupting the bickering pair of apprentices. She stomped over to them, sinking her teeth into Reedpaw's scruff and dragging him away, despite his protests. Pebblepaw scurried after them, taking shelter behind her mentor.

Brambleflower let go of Reedpaw, glaring at him and then at Shadepaw. "We're going home," she declared, nudging Reedpaw forward. "Now."

Firepaw anxiously looked to Badgerclaw for guidance. The warrior simply gestured vaguely back to the forest before padding off, leaving Firepaw behind.

Shadepaw stood frozen in the middle of the clearing, her ears ringing. She watched as Brambleflower guided Pebblepaw out of the clearing, her tail rested gently on the tabby's shoulder. Reedpaw followed behind them, with Frostface at his side.

"Shadepaw." She barely registered the sound of her mentor's voice. "Come, Shadepaw."

She finally broke out of her trance, looking up at Eagleclaw. She expected to see disappointment in his amber eyes, but was surprised to find none.

"We don't want to be left behind," he mewed, pushing her forward a bit.

"Okay," she whispered, her voice sounding foreign and strange. "Okay," she repeated, more loudly this time. She followed Eagleclaw out of the clearing, taking note of the way he kept his distance from the rest of the patrol.

Shadepaw wondered if she was going to be punished for yelling at Reedpaw and Pebblepaw. Surely if she was to be punished, Reedpaw would be punished as well? She frowned as she recalled his words, her tail dragging against the ground. _Why was he so quick to side with Pebblepaw? Couldn't he see that she wasn't trying? Did he even care?_

Shadepaw trailed behind Eagleclaw silently, keeping her eyes focused on the forest floor as she trudged back to LightClan's camp, a heavy feeling in her heart.

* * *

><p>It turned out that she <em>was <em>going to be punished – three consecutive nights of cleaning the elder's den and bringing them new bedding all by herself. Reedpaw would pick up where she had left off when the three days had passed.

Shadepaw sighed as she rolled a final ball of moss out of the den, wrinkling her nose at the stench of it. She felt as if she had been rolling around moss balls for moons.

The ball was gone with a few more pushes, rolled outside of camp. Shadepaw collapsed in the shade provided by the large oak tree that grew on the edge of LightClan's camp, sighing at the relief of the feeling of cool, soft grass against her pelt. Her eyes fell shut, and she had nearly dozed off when she heard the sound of paw steps coming in her direction. Groggily raising her head and blinking her eyes open, Shadepaw was surprised to see Eagleclaw approaching with a large blackbird dangling from his jaws.

Eagleclaw dropped the bird at her paws, a few stray feathers fluttering about. One landed on her nose. She brushed it away with a paw, and then looked up at her mentor in confusion.

"It's for you," he confirmed, nodding as he settled down in the grass beside her.

"But why?" She angled her head toward him. "I thought I was being punished."

"You are," the tabby tom mewed, "But after your victory against Firepaw, I thought that you deserved a reward."

Unsure of what to say, Shadepaw simply settled for, "Thank you."

Eagleclaw nodded again, and then waited for her to eat. Shadepaw hungrily gulped down the bird, drawing her tongue across her muzzle once she had finished. She sat in silence beside Eagleclaw, who stared out across the clearing, his amber eyes reflecting the crimson sky swirled with streaks of orange and gold.

"Eagleclaw?" she muttered, shuffling her paws.

"Yes?" He turned to face her.

"Are you…" she trailed off briefly. "Are you angry with me? Because of what I did today?"

He fell silent again, and Shadepaw feared that he wasn't going to answer her question. Finally, just when she had been about to give up hope and return to the apprentice's den for some rest, he spoke. "I can't say that I'm proud."

Shadepaw's ears lowered in shame. She had never wanted to disappoint her mentor.

"But," he continued, "What Reedpaw said to you was out of line. And Pebblepaw…" He paused. "I can understand why you got angry. To work so hard to win your fight, and then to see her put so little effort into her training – if I was an apprentice, I don't doubt that I would have done the same thing."

"Really?" Shadepaw didn't believe it. Surely someone as collected as Eagleclaw would never have such an embarrassing outburst.

He chuckled quietly. "If you only knew what an awful apprentice I was…I can't believe my mentor didn't try to drown me."

Shadepaw laughed too, feeling a lot better than she had a few moments ago. "Is that what you'll do if I misbehave again? Toss me in the river and wish me good luck?"

"Step out of line again, and perhaps you'll find out," he deepened his voice in an attempt to sound mysterious, but Shadepaw knew he was teasing her.

"I'll just have to learn how to swim, then!" She said decisively. "I can start tomorrow."

Eagleclaw laughed once more before standing up. "Get some rest, and maybe I'll consider swimming lessons."

"Okay, Eagleclaw," she nodded, standing up as well. She said goodnight to her mentor, and then made her way to the apprentice's den. She was glad to see that Firepaw was the only current occupant.

Shadepaw settled down into her nest, curling up into a ball and shutting her eyes. She was asleep in minutes, dreaming of churning rivers and ice cold water.


	3. Ashpaw

**A/N:** Realizing I didn't add an author's note before the previous chapter more like ? honestly what am I doing I am the worst fanfic author to grace this planet.

But anyway, here's chapter two. This one is from Ashpaw's POV. Throughout the fanfic, POVs will alternate - up next is Reedpaw, then Pebblepaw, and finally Firepaw. There's also going to be a few bonus chapters from the POVs of characters like Dawnstar, Brambleflower, and other important (but not quite main) characters.

I'm honestly not that happy with how this chapter turned out...I originally had a slightly different plan as to how it would play out, but then I completely forgot about it and ended up writing this instead. Also this is completely unedited because I am incredibly lazy and also because rereading my writing makes my confidence plummet...oh well. I hope that it's not _that_ horrible.

* * *

><p>Ashpaw woke to the sound of leaves rustling.<p>

Am I in the forest…? She began to lift her head and immediately regretted it. A sharp pain felt as if it was splitting her head open. She mumbled quietly, opening her eyes only to be able to make out faint, blurry shapes.

Ashpaw's mumbles turned into wails, loud and clear. The sound echoed faintly, as if she was in a cave.

"Ashpaw? Are you alright?"

"Mistleaf?" Ashpaw's voice trembled when she spoke. She kept her head down, waiting for the medicine cat to come to her.

Mistleaf came around the corner a moment later, her face contorted with worry. "Ashpaw!" She exclaimed, rushing forward. She rested a gentle paw on Ashpaw's flank, pressing her muzzle against the top of the gray molly's head.

"I'm okay," Ashpaw lied. She knew that if she told Mistleaf the truth, she would become more distraught than she currently was.

"You worried me." Mistleaf muttered, her breath tickling Ashpaw's forehead. She wanted to reach up and rub a paw across her face, but after what had happened when she'd attempted to lift her head, she wasn't very eager to attempt moving again.

"Um." Ashpaw mewed hesitantly, not wanting to upset the medicine cat. "Mistleaf, you're kind of…you're crowding me."

"Oh!" Mistleaf drew away almost instantly, looking alarmed. "Oh, Ashpaw, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to – "

"It's okay." Ashpaw mewed, hoping to soothe her. "Really, it's –"

"I'm going to go fetch Sparrowfur," Mistleaf interrupted, backing away from the apprentice. "You wait right here, okay?"

Before Ashpaw could answer, Mistleaf was gone. She sighed quietly, wondering what had made the bicolor molly so jumpy. She waited patiently for Mistleaf to return with Sparrowfur.

Ashpaw wondered if she'd be allowed visitors today. Mistleaf had promised her that she'd allow the other apprentices to stop by for a visit. She hadn't seen Firepaw or Pebblepaw since she'd fallen ill, and she missed speaking to them. She had even started to miss Shadepaw, despite her unfriendly manner, and Reedpaw, who was all broody expressions and biting comments.

Maybe if I had siblings they'd come and see me. Ashpaw had always wished that she'd had at least one sibling, someone to cheer her up when she was upset – someone who would be loyal to her no matter what. She might have had someone like that, too, if she had been born into LightClan.

The gray molly shivered, remembering Mistleaf's tale of how she had discovered Ashpaw as a kitten, curled against the lifeless body of her mother, along with two other kits who had succumbed to the frigid temperatures and lack of food. Ashpaw had been the only one to survive. Despite the fact that she had no memories of her siblings, it still hurt to think of them – the possibility of them.

"Ashpaw?" This time it was Sparrowfur's voice she heard. She turned her head slightly, and was surprised to find that the pain that had earlier accompanied movement had seemingly vanished.

"Mistleaf sent me," he explained, as if she wasn't already aware. "She said that you were feeling a bit off."

"I'm okay, really," Ashpaw mewed, feeling a bit annoyed.

"Have you had enough water?" He continued on as if he hadn't heard her speak. "You could be dehydrated. Or maybe you just need a bit more sleep. Maybe some poppy seeds will do the trick."

"Poppy seeds are your solution to everything," Ashpaw groaned. Sparrowfur continued to ramble.

"I think I'll just get you some water for now. That should make you feel a bit better. Clear your head a bit. You can have the poppy seeds later, if you need them."

Ashpaw sighed. "Okay, Sparrowfur."

"I'll just send out Shadepaw to fetch some –" He frowned, cutting himself off. "No, I can't do that. She'll be busy with the elders."

"Busy with the elders?"

"I suppose Pebblepaw will have to do!" He nodded, disappearing before Ashpaw could utter another word. The gray apprentice was alone once again.

Ashpaw tried to crane her head toward the den's entrance, but winced, finding that the pain had returned. It wasn't as intense as it had been before, but it was certainly still there. Peering outside, Ashpaw wasn't able to see anything through the thick covering of vines that draped across the entrance, obscuring her view of the clearing.

_I don't want to spend another day trapped inside the medicine cat's den. I want to be out training with my friends_. Another sigh escaped the gray molly. _Maybe I should just go back to sleep._

She closed her eyes and hoped for sleep to claim her, but her mind was buzzing, too full of thoughts of the other apprentices and Mistleaf and the siblings that she would never know and Sparrowfur's poppy seeds.

"Ashpaw?" A tentative voice called out her name. Ashpaw recognized Pebblepaw's soft way of speaking, so quiet that it was barely audible.

Pebblepaw padded in, rolling a ball of moss soaked in water with her muzzle. "Sparrowfur sent me," she mewed, blinking sleep from her eyes. Ashpaw felt guilty. If she hadn't been so needy, Pebblepaw wouldn't have had to wake up for quite some time. She didn't want the smaller molly losing sleep because of her.

"You didn't have to do this," Ashpaw murmured as she braced herself for the pain and rolled onto her stomach, watching as Pebblepaw nudged the ball of moss closer to her.

"I did, actually. If I didn't, Sparrowfur would have made me spend the entire day searching for herbs." She wrinkled her nose in distaste.

Ashpaw purred, sucking a bit of moisture from the moss. "What's so bad about looking for herbs?" she asked, looking over at Pebblepaw, who had sat down beside Ashpaw's makeshift nest.

"It's just not for me, I suppose," Pebblepaw replied. "Though I'm sure Robinkit would be furious if she heard me say that," Pebblepaw smiled and gazed out at the clearing. Ashpaw wondered if she could see the little calico molly out in the clearing with her family.

Ashpaw nodded in agreement. "She'd do anything to become a medicine cat."

"If only Sparrowfur was that enthusiastic about his job…" Pebblepaw trailed off, looking anxiously over her shoulder. "Sometimes I wonder if he just became a medicine cat so he didn't have to go into battle," she whispered.

"I think he just didn't want to be a warrior, and becoming a medicine cat was his only other option." Ashpaw said. "I mean, he couldn't exactly become an elder – though I'm sure he'd absolutely love that. He'd have us waiting on him constantly."

"Maybe he should just retire so Robinkit can take his place. Do you think Dawnstar would let him?" Pebblepaw sounded doubtful.

"Definitely not," Ashpaw responded, shaking her head. She sucked more water from the moss, sighing contentedly.

"Well, I should get back to my duties." Pebblepaw mewed, reluctantly standing. "Brambleflower is taking me hunting with Nightstorm and Sorrelfur."

"I wish I could go," Ashpaw sighed. "I'd give anything to be out of here." She missed the feeling of the forest floor beneath her paws, missed the surge of satisfaction that came when she trapped a mouse underneath her paws. She'd had enough of lazing around in the medicine cat's den to last a lifetime.

"You'll be begging Mistleaf to let you come back as soon as you get out," Pebblepaw laughed, touching Ashpaw's shoulder with the tip of her tail. "Sandcloud said she has something special planned for you once you're out. Do you think she'll take you to OwlClan's border?" Pebblepaw's blue eyes widened at the thought.

"Of course not!" Ashpaw exclaimed, feeling a bit frightened. "It's too dangerous for an undertrained apprentice. Sandcloud knows better."

"I wonder what it's like over there…" The tabby molly mewed. "I wonder if –"

"Pebblepaw! Where in StarClan's name are you?"

"Oops!" Pebblepaw squeaked. "I've got to go! Bye, Ashpaw!"

"Goodbye!" Ashpaw called as Pebblepaw scrambled out of the den, mewing an apology to her mentor as she went. She watched Pebblepaw's gray tabby pelt disappear behind the vines, imagining how great it would feel when she herself was able to leave. She imagined herself as if she was Pebblepaw – it was easy for Ashpaw to picture, seeing how similar she and Pebblepaw were. Ashpaw had always thought that if only she had Pebblepaw's tabby markings, the pair of them would be nearly identical. They could pull pranks on their denmates and mentors, switching places whenever they liked. Laughter bubbled up within her at the thought.

Ashpaw rested her head on her paws, wishing that Pebblepaw hadn't been so quick to leave. She would have liked to chat with her friend for at least a few more moments. Now she was alone again, left to wait silently until Mistleaf decided that it was alright for her to return to her duties.

Gradually, Ashpaw's eyes began to close, her breathing slowing down a bit. She had no better way to spend her time – surely a nap wouldn't hurt.

For the second time that day, she was unable to fall asleep. She remained awake, annoyed, and impatient. The tip of her tail began to twitch with pent up energy, and she eventually opened her eyes once more with a loud groan.

"Mistleaf?" She was unable to keep herself from calling out for the medicine cat. Perhaps if she begged her, the timid molly would cave in and let her go.

Either Mistleaf had left the den, or she didn't intend on responding to Ashpaw's call. The gray and white medicine cat was nowhere to be seen.

"Mistleaf!" Ashpaw mewed angrily, kneading her paws against her nest of moss. Even Sparrowfur did not show up.

Finally, Ashpaw received an answer to her shouting. A smile formed on her face as she saw Firepaw slide inside the medicine cat's den, green eyes wide with worry.

"Are you alright?" He mewed, padding over to her and prodding her with a paw. Normally Ashpaw would have been annoyed, but for now, she was happy to have someone else to speak to.

"You poking at me like that surely isn't going to make me any better!" She purred, pushing Firepaw's paw away.

He rolled his eyes, plopping down beside her. "I thought you were dying or something."

"And you didn't come faster?" Ashpaw teased, trying to get him to lighten up.

"It's not like I could do anything to help you if you were. I'd probably end up poisoning you." He frowned, glancing over his shoulder. "Where is Mistleaf anyway? Shouldn't she be watching you?"

Ashpaw shrugged, shuffling closer to Firepaw. "She was here a little while ago. So was Sparrowfur."

He snorted. "Sparrowfur? He's about as good as I am at healing."

"Don't say that," Ashpaw chided. "He might hear you and slip some herbs into your next piece of fresh kill!"

Firepaw chuckled. "I think he already has. Remember when he was trying to treat that cough I had? Whatever herbs he gave me just made me feel even worse than I did before." He shook his head. "I don't know why Mistleaf even keeps him around."

"Ashpaw?" The sound of Sparrowfur's voice made both Ashpaw and Firepaw startle, the fur on the back of their necks prickling. A moment later, the tabby tom appeared. "I heard you calling for…well, for Mistleaf, but I figured I might as well come. Is something wrong?"

"N-no, Sparrowfur." She stuttered, glancing over at Firepaw. "I'm alright."

"Then why were you shouting so loudly?" The brown tom asked, tilting his head in confusion. Before Ashpaw could answer, he shook his head, muttering to himself, something about apprentices and their antics. "Well…if you do need me, I'll be around." He mewed before slipping away once more.

"That was close," Firepaw murmured, leaning down so that Ashpaw could hear him clearly. His breath tickled her ears, making her flick them backward.

"Do you think he heard us?" She fretted, glancing up at her fellow apprentice. "I don't want him to be angry with us."

"If he did hear, he'll forget about it soon enough. I'm sure he has other things to worry about." He reassured her.

"I hope you're right…" Ashpaw trailed off.

"So," Firepaw mewed, "When d'you think you'll get outta here? We all went out for some training yesterday." Firepaw's eyes lit up. "Dawnstar was there, too. She said that I was the best fighter she'd ever seen!"

Ashpaw doubted Firepaw's claims, but didn't say so out loud. "I wish I had been there," she lamented.

Firepaw's ears went back. "Err, maybe you don't…" Ashpaw didn't have to ask why – Firepaw provided an explanation a moment later. "Shadepaw kinda got into it with Reedpaw and Pebblepaw. She started shouting at them…Reedpaw started yelling, too. They're both gonna have to clean out the elders den for a little while." He wrinkled his nose. "I sure am glad that I stayed out of it."

_So that's why Sparrowfur couldn't send Shadepaw, _Ashpaw thought. She wasn't surprised to hear that the dark gray molly had gotten into a skirmish with Pebblepaw, but Reedpaw? She had thought that the two were friends. They usually got along quite well. Perhaps something had happened between them that she was unaware of.

"Anyway," Firepaw's drawling voice interrupted her thoughts. "I asked Badgerclaw if he'd take the two of us out for a practice fight, 'cause I didn't want you to miss out completely. He said that he needed to talk to Sandcloud about it, but I think she'll be okay with it."

"Really?" Ashpaw perked up, purring. "That's great, Firepaw! Thank you!"

"Don't get too excited. She could still say no…after all, I bet I'd have you beaten in a few moments. You don't stand a chance against me!" He puffed out his chest in an attempt to make himself appear larger than he truly was.

Ashpaw rolled her eyes, affectionately nudging him with her muzzle. "We'll see about that."

Firepaw drew away from her, dropping into a crouch, pressed low to the ground. "I bet I could beat you right now!" He challenged.

"Of course you could," Ashpaw replied. "I'm sick, remember?"

Firepaw stood up quickly, looking panicked. "Wait – I'm not going to catch anything, am I?" He stepped back. "I don't wanna be stuck in here with you!"

"Gee, thanks!" She responded, although she knew he didn't mean it.

"I'm out of here!" He announced, backing up towards the exit. "If I end up feeling sick, I'll know exactly who to blame!" In a flash of ginger fur he was gone, muttering about how he was going to have to go jump into the river to wash the sickness off of his fur. Despite Firepaw's ridiculous reaction, Ashpaw couldn't help but smile. He provided quite a bit of entertainment, and always seemed capable of brightening up her days with his endless supply of energy and ramblings that seemed to go on for ages. Compared to Pebblepaw who was quiet and gentle and withdrawn, Firepaw was a lot to handle. Still, she preferred him to the other LightClan apprentices – there was something about him that set him apart from the other three.

She imagined what their training session would be like. She hoped that Firepaw was wrong, that she wouldn't be easy to defeat, but she felt that after spending such a long time confined to this StarClan forsaken den, her battle skills would be subpar. Firepaw – along with Pebblepaw, Shadepaw, and Reedpaw – had been training for longer than she had.

_What if they get their warriors names before I do?_ The thought made Ashpaw's stomach churn. How embarrassing would it be to sit aside while all her friends received their full names? Firepaw would never stop teasing her.

_I won't let that happen. I _can't _let that happen._ She tucked her paws underneath her chest, staring out at the clearing through the covering of vines. She made a promise to herself. As soon as she was free from Mistleaf's care, she would train as hard as she could to assure that she achieved everything that her friends had done already. She would beg Sandcloud for extra sessions, would get up early and go on each and every hunting patrol until she had mastered the skills it took to be a LightClan warrior.

_I'll show the entire clan just how great I can be._


	4. Reedpaw

**A/N: **Thinking about it, I really shouldn't be posting chapters this often. Like, I'm really just setting everyone up for disappointment, because there is no way in hell I'm going to manage to consistently update chapters this often. I mean, I'm already writing and then updating at this point - I don't have a single chapter prepared in advance. Example B of me being the absolute worst at writing fanfics (example A shows up again here...I didn't edit this chapter at all. I don't know what it is about editing, but I just can't stand doing it).

The writing in chapter this feels a bit all over the place to me. I had a plan for this one as well, and then I realized that if I followed it I was going to have to rewrite half of what I'd already written to have it make sense, so I figured I'd put off the rest of the plan until a later chapter. I hope it doesn't come off as too scattered.

Here's Reedpaw's first POV chapter! He's one of the characters that I have the most trouble writing...it's a bit difficult to convey his personality, especially when he's younger. Hopefully it will become clearer as everything progresses.

Also, you know what would be super wonderful? If you leave a review, you should tell me who your favorite character (and maybe also your least favorite) is so far. It doesn't necessarily have to be one of the apprentices (I'm pretty fond of Eagleclaw, for example). I'd really like to see everyone's opinions!

* * *

><p>For the first time in his life, Reedpaw wasn't hanging onto a grudge with all of his strength.<p>

He supposed that it was because Shadepaw was his friend, and even after what they had said to each other, he wasn't ready to ruin the one of the strongest bonds he had ever known. He had quickly grown tired of having to avoid the dark gray molly, unable to look her in the eyes. Although he hated to admit it, Reedpaw knew that he needed to apologize.

Now, if only he could get away from Pebblepaw for long enough to do so.

The little gray molly sat beside him, babbling on about something that he had stopped paying attention to ages ago. When he'd last been paying attention, she had been talking about how she'd finally managed to catch more than a single scrawny mouse on her most recent hunting patrol with Brambleflower. He figured that he should have felt happy for her, or perhaps should have offered congratulations, but he was far too focused on what he was going to say to Shadepaw.

_I wonder if she's still angry with me…_ Reedpaw's ears lowered at the thought. One of the reasons he got along so well with Shadepaw was because of how similar they were – she wasn't one to let go of grudges easily, either. What if she didn't accept his apology?

_I'll just have to make it extra special. Then she'll have no choice but to forgive me._

"Reedpaw?" Pebblepaw's high pitched voice drew his focus, making him turn his head in her direction. She gazed up at him with wide blue eyes, head tilted slightly to the right.

"Yes?" He replied, his tail flicking in irritation. He hadn't yet gathered the courage to tell Pebblepaw that he didn't want to spend time with her today – the tiny tabby molly had a tendency to trail behind him when Firepaw was not around. Reedpaw typically found it endearing, but today her clinginess was grating at him.

"I think – " She paused, shuffling her paws anxiously. "I think Shadepaw is watching you." Her voice was quieter this time, soft and hushed so that only Reedpaw was able to detect her words.

"Really?" Reedpaw's ears pricked up, his dark amber eyes scanning the clearing in search of Shadepaw. He found her sitting beside Eagleclaw and Nightstorm. The two older cats seemed to be chatting, but Shadepaw was not involved in their conversation. Instead, her eyes were focused on Reedpaw. From where he sat, he couldn't be quite sure if she was glaring at him or not.

"What do you suppose she's thinking about?" Pebblepaw whispered, nudging him a bit with her shoulder.

"How would I know?" Reedpaw murmured. "I can't read minds, Pebblepaw."

"I know, but – " Pebblepaw cut herself off once again with a squeal. "I think she's coming over here!" Reedpaw felt her press against him, slowly taking a few steps back and crouching down so that she was hidden behind him.

Surely enough, Shadepaw did seem to be approaching them. She said something to Eagleclaw and Nightstorm that he could not hear, and then she stretched her limbs and began to head in their direction.

"Why is she coming over here?" Pebblepaw muttered softly, her voice barely audible. "I thought that she was angry with us…and didn't Eagleclaw tell her that she was supposed to – "

"Hello, Reedpaw." Shadepaw's tone was cautious, as if she was unsure as to whether she should be talking to him or not. She cast a glance in Pebblepaw's direction, but otherwise ignored the gray tabby apprentice.

"Hey, Shadepaw." Reedpaw mirrored Shadepaw's caution. He'd hoped to speak with her outside of the clearing – with all of his clanmates wandering about, and Pebblepaw cowering behind him, he felt as if all eyes would be on him. Reedpaw was not often nervous, but he couldn't deny that his heart was pounding in his chest, sending a surge of anxiety through his veins. "What are you…" He paused to clear his throat. "Uh, what are you doing over here?" When Shadepaw frowned in response to his words, he quickly added, "I mean, I saw you talking to Eagleclaw and Nightstorm…"

"I wasn't talking to them, really; just listening." She glanced back at Pebblepaw once more. "Though there is a reason I came over. Eagleclaw was suggesting a hunting patrol later in the day, and he told me that I should bring along a friend or two."

"Oh!" Reedpaw couldn't help but smile. "Well, I don't have anything to do today…Frostface hasn't been taking me out for many patrols lately." He felt a stab of anger at the thought of his mentor. Compared to Eagleclaw or Brambleflower, she was nothing impressive. Sure, she was decent when it came to battle tactics, but Reedpaw would have preferred to have been mentored by a _true_ LightClan cat. He couldn't understand why he hadn't been assigned to Nightstorm or Sorrelfur, or even to Silverfang. Sometimes he envied the other apprentices – he would have given up nearly anything to have been trained by a different LightClan warrior.

"Really? Maybe you should talk to Dawnstar. You wouldn't want to fall behind in your training," Shadepaw mewed.

"Well, it's not like I never get to do anything…she took me out hunting by the OwlClan border a little while ago. That was pretty fun."

"Wait – she took you to OwlClan's border?" Pebblepaw piped up, sitting up straight. Both Reedpaw and Shadepaw turned toward her. The molly's blue eyes were wide with fear. "But that's…that's dangerous!" Her tail lashed back and forth. "Frostface should know better! She shouldn't be putting you in danger like that." Pebblepaw's whiskers trembled. "What if you had been attacked? What if – "

"Surely Frostface would have protected him if they had happened upon an OwlClan patrol." Shadepaw said. "She is a LightClan warrior, after all."

"But why would she, of all cats, have gone to OwlClan's border?" Pebblepaw inquired.

"Maybe she was hoping that some of her old friends would show up and finish her pesky apprentice off." Reedpaw mewed jokingly.

"Reedpaw!" Pebblepaw scolded, her voice cracking slightly. She rested her muzzle against his shoulder. "Don't say things like that!"

"It was just a joke," he frowned, drawing away from her.

"But what if you _had_ gotten – "

"Shadepaw!" Reedpaw turned his head to see Eagleclaw approaching the small group of apprentices. He glanced warily at Reedpaw and Pebblepaw, likely surprised to see that Shadepaw had chosen them to speak to. "Have you chosen who you want to come on our hunting patrol?"

"Reedpaw said he'd come," She mewed, "If that's alright with you."

"And what about you, Pebblepaw?" Eagleclaw asked, looking at her.

Pebblepaw's gaze flickered between Reedpaw and Shadepaw. "Well…I guess I can come, too."

Reedpaw resisted the urge to sigh. He normally wouldn't have minded a patrol with Pebblepaw, but he had been hoping that this would have been his chance to get to speak to Shadepaw alone.

"Alright, then," Eagleclaw nodded. "Nightstorm is going to come along with us, too. Why don't we set out now?" He paused for a moment. "Unless the three of you have other duties to do."

"Brambleflower wanted me to collect some moss for the nursery…" Pebblepaw mewed. "Do you think it can wait?"

"You might as well do it now," Eagleclaw suggested. "You know how Brambleflower is when it comes to the nursery…" He smiled a bit. "Especially when our daughter's kits are current residents."

Pebblepaw looked a bit disappointed, but was otherwise compliant. "I'll try to hurry back, then!" Without another word the little molly rushed away, gone in the blink of an eye.

"I suppose I'll come and find you later, then." Eagleclaw said to Reedpaw and Shadepaw, nodding slightly. He then padded away, returning back to where Nightstorm sat.

Shadepaw watched as her mentor walked away. "Do you think we should go help Pebblepaw collect moss?" She asked, looking over at Reedpaw. "She'll get it done faster if we're there to help."

Reedpaw shook his head. "I have a better idea…"

* * *

><p>"Reedpaw, where are we even going?" Shadepaw yelped as her paw became tangled in a bramble thicket, tufts of gray fur remaining trapped in the thorns when she managed to escape. "I'm going to have to spend hours picking thorns out of my paws!"<p>

"You'll see!" He called, waving his tail as a signal for Shadepaw. Even he was too short to be seen through the heavy undergrowth – he had to stretch his tail to its full length for it to be seen above all the plants and thorns. "Now stop complaining and hurry up! Pebblepaw could already be finished collecting moss by now."

He heard Shadepaw sigh loudly, but soon she had found her way through the thorns and took a spot beside him. Leaves were tangled in her dark gray fur, streaks of dirt and dust coating her so that she appeared more brown than gray. Reedpaw was tempted to lean forward and clean the dirt away, but he figured that Shadepaw wouldn't appreciate the gesture.

"I think that I have a thorn stuck in my paw," She muttered, wrinkling her nose.

"Let me see," Reedpaw urged, waiting for Shadepaw to life her paw.

"You're not a medicine cat," She scoffed. "I don't want you making it any worse."

Reedpaw rolled his eyes. "If you don't pull it out it could get infected."

"I'll just have to take that risk, then," She replied, trotting ahead of Reedpaw. He noticed that she was limping slightly. With his ears flattened in annoyance, Reedpaw trailed after her, promising that he would usher her into Mistleaf's den as soon as they were back at camp.

"Almost there," Reedpaw mewed, although he was unsure if he was right. He hoped that his memory was still correct, or else he would have been leading Shadepaw through a forest of thorns for no reason.

"Thank StarClan…" Shadepaw murmured, letting out a little sigh of relief.

They continued on through a tangle of brambles and other thorny plants for a few more minutes. Shadepaw continued to whine about her paw while Reedpaw fretted about having made things between him and the gray molly even worse. He could only imagine how angry Shadepaw would be if he had led her here for no reason.

Finally, the two apprentices came to a small clearing, sheltered by oak trees and densely woven bushes.

With a rush of excitement, Reedpaw exclaimed, "We're here!"

Shadepaw looked at him dubiously. "Uh…sorry, but, _where_ exactly are we?"

"Come here," Reedpaw mewed, his voice much quieter. He suddenly felt self-conscious, and was tempted to suggest that he and Shadepaw just head back to LightClan's camp, but she had already joined him. Reedpaw took a deep breath before he prodded at one of the bushes with an extended paw, wriggling his way inside the newly created opening. "Follow me," He mewed.

"Remind me why I followed you out here…" Shadepaw sighed, but obeyed Reedpaw, squirming in alongside him.

Once Shadepaw had found her way inside the bushes, Reedpaw advanced, hissing at the feeling of branches scraping against his pelt. It had been much easier to find his way through the bushes when he had been younger and much smaller. He wondered how his mother had ever managed to push her way through to the other side.

"Reedpaw, if you don't tell me where we're going this moment – "

The pair of LightClan apprentices finally emerged. Reedpaw was almost certain that he heard Shadepaw gasp beside him. He shuffled his paws awkwardly, unable to meet her gaze.

"This is…" he trailed off for a moment. "This is where I was born. Where I lived until…" His voice broke off.

"Reedpaw, this is…" Shadepaw started to speak, and then seemed to realize Reedpaw's current emotional state. She gently rested her tail against his flank. Reedpaw leaned toward her, unable to conjure up any more words.

"You know," Shadepaw mewed. "If I had known that this was where you were taking me, I wouldn't have complained even half as much." That coaxed a small laugh out of the golden brown tom.

"Sorry about that…I just didn't know how to explain it, I guess. I was worried that you would think it was stupid, and that you'd be even angrier with me."

Shadepaw chuckled. "You know, if you had taken me anywhere else that might have been the case." A comfortable silence fell over the pair. Shadepaw settled down in the tall grass, gesturing for Reedpaw to do the same. He curled up beside her, resting his head on top of his paws, gazing out at the little area in which he had lived for the first few moons of his life. He could still remember what it had been like, spending every moment of his day at his mother's side. When she had fallen ill with an incurable sickness, she had chased Reedpaw away. For the longest time, he hadn't been able to understand why she had done it – why she had banished her only son from his own home. He realized now that it had been for the best. If he had stayed, he would have likely ended up dead as well. With a soft sigh, Reedpaw closed his eyes, the feeling of Shadepaw's sides rising and falling against his lulling him into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

><p>"Reedpaw! Reedpaw, get up!" Reedpaw yelped at the feeling of sharp claws piercing his skin. He was up in a moment, claws out and eyes alight with fury. He searched for his attacker, but found only Shadepaw standing in front of him, her eyes wide.<p>

"Finally!" She groaned. "You fell asleep and you wouldn't wake up and we've been away from camp for far too long and – " She gasped, pausing for the briefest moment. "Oh, StarClan, we're going to be in _so _much trouble!"

Blinking sleep from his eyes, Reedpaw surveyed their surroundings. The sky had begun to darken, shades of red tinting it. He could just barely see the sun, obscured by branches and leaves.

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Because I…" Shadepaw shook her head. "Oh, forget it! We need to go back, and we need to do it quickly. Let's go!" She threw herself into the bushes, writhing until she was able to push her way through. Although his mind still felt a bit fuzzy, Reedpaw soon followed.

"I bet they think we were taken by a fox…Eagleclaw must be so worried…" She muttered, crawling through the bushes. She made her way through in record time, waiting impatiently for Reedpaw.

As soon as he was free of the tangled branches, Shadepaw began to race ahead, her paws pounding against the forest floor as she ran. Reedpaw hurried behind her, breathing heavily and wishing that he was as swift as Shadepaw. He was already feeling as if he was about to collapse.

Shadepaw came to a sudden, screeching halt. Reedpaw was unable to slow down in time, and ended up crashing into her, sending them both tumbling. When they finally stopped, Reedpaw was hit with an overwhelming stench.

_OwlClan._

"Reedpaw!" Shadepaw hissed, just as a familiar voice called,

"Reedpaw! Shadepaw!"

Reedpaw winced, turning just in time to see Eagleclaw rushing toward him. Sorrelfur and Nightstorm stood behind him, Sorrelfur watching with a startled expression, Nightstorm glaring at them as if they had stolen the last piece of fresh kill from her in the dead of leafbare.

"What in StarClan's name are you two doing?" The warrior demanded. Before either apprentice could answer, Eagleclaw dug his teeth into Reedpaw's scruff and dragged him backward. He yowled in protest, fur prickling along his spine. Eagleclaw abruptly dropped him, ready to fetch Shadepaw. Fortunately, the dark gray molly had already scrambled over to her mentor. For the first time since he had joined LightClan, Reedpaw saw that Eagleclaw looked furious. It was frightening to see – he had always thought of Eagleclaw as a cat who never lost his temper, even in the direst of situations.

"We've been searching for you two for ages!" Nightstorm stalked forward, her voice raised. "And what do we find you doing? Playing right along OwlClan's border, as if you don't have a care in the world! You could have been _killed_!"

"We weren't – " Shadepaw was interrupted before she could finish her sentence.

"I would have expected this from Frostface's apprentice, but you, Shadepaw?" Nightstorm's comment made Reedpaw's eyes narrow indignantly. "Eagleclaw has taught you better."

"We're sorry – we really are – "

Reedpaw pushed his way forward, shoving his face in Nightstorm's. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" He hissed through clenched teeth. Nightstorm looked as if she wanted to rake her claws across his face, but Sorrelfur quickly stepped in before she had a chance to.

"All of you need to calm down!" He shouted, raising his voice so that it could be heard clearly. He glanced at Shadepaw, and then at Reedpaw. "Now, why don't you two explain why we found you at the edge of OwlClan's territory? Surely you know how dangerous it is for you to be here."

"We do!" Shadepaw confirmed, nodding vigorously. "But we weren't…We weren't even _here_, not until just a few moments ago. We were off in…in some other part of the forest. I don't know where, exactly, but it was definitely LightClan land." She looked to Reedpaw for support. He nodded, but otherwise remained quiet. "Reedpaw wanted to show me something out in the forest, so he figured that we could go out really quickly before we had to go on our hunting patrol…we lost track of time, so we were trying to hurry back before anyone started to worry. I didn't realize how close we were to OwlClan's border, I swear."

Nightstorm scoffed, but Sorrelfur and Eagleclaw listened to Shadepaw's tale quietly. When the gray molly had finished, Eagleclaw let out a deep sigh.

"Shadepaw, you _know_ that you aren't supposed to leave the camp without a warrior to accompany you. I don't know what's gotten into you lately, but…" The muscular tom paused. He then fixed his amber eyes on Reedpaw. "And you – you only seem to be encouraging this…whatever this is." He sighed once more. "If this is what happens when the two of you spend time together, I think that perhaps you should be separated."

"No!" Reedpaw growled, digging his claws into the ground. He didn't want to be separated from Shadepaw, especially when they had just started to get along again.

"Just until you learn how to behave yourselves," Eagleclaw clarified. "I am sure that Frostface will agree with me."

"But you can't _do _that – it's not fair!" Reedpaw whipped around to look at Shadepaw, waiting for her to agree. Shadepaw frowned, but kept her mouth tightly sealed. Anger rose within Reedpaw. Why wasn't she backing him up?

"It is time for us to return to camp," Eagleclaw said, a tone of finality in his voice. He wasn't going to argue for any longer. Reedpaw lashed his tail, only remaining quiet in fear of a greater punishment. Grudgingly, he trudged back to camp with the rest of his clanmates, Sorrelfur and Nightstorm creating a barrier between himself and Shadepaw. When he tried to glance back at her, Nightstorm growled softly, as if to warn him.

With fury still coursing through his veins, Reedpaw allowed himself to be led back to LightClan's camp. An instant after the small patrol arrived, Reedpaw saw Pebblepaw shove her way through the crowd of cats who had gathered in the clearing, rushing directly toward him.

"Reedpaw!" She squeaked, passing up Shadepaw without a single word. Her whole body was trembling. "I was so _worried _about you!" She pushed her head up underneath his chin, nestling as closely to him as she could. Reedpaw didn't miss the irritated glance that Shadepaw threw their way, but he had no problem ignoring it. She had no right to be upset with him.

"I'm okay," He replied, softening his voice so that only Pebblepaw could hear. "See? No wounds or scars." Nightstorm and Sorrelfur passed by him. Nightstorm gave him a pointed glare. Reedpaw rolled his eyes in response.

"I know, I know, but…" Pebblepaw exhaled. "I'm just glad you're alright." She drew away slightly. "Where were you, anyway? When Eagleclaw noticed that you were missing, he thought that maybe you had gone to help me collect moss."

"I was…" He shook his head. "It's not important. What matters is that I'm here now."

Pebblepaw nodded in agreement. "Come on – let's go get something to eat. You must be starving!"

He followed Pebblepaw to the fresh kill pile, settling down just outside of the apprentices' den once they had picked out a piece of prey. Pebblepaw chatted while they ate, surprising quite a few laughs out of Reedpaw. He found himself feeling grateful for her company, feeling slightly guilty for the way he had behaved toward her at the start of the day. _And all because you wanted to get Shadepaw on your side again_. Reedpaw felt a prick of anger when he thought about her. He had wasted the entire day on her, and she hadn't even had the decency to support him.

Perhaps spending some time away from the molly he had believed to be his closest friend would be a good thing, after all.


End file.
